


mother (doesn't always) know best

by hi_raeth



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Reylo, F/M, Modern AU, foreground organa-solo family madness, rey makes an appearance at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-18 18:14:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14218902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hi_raeth/pseuds/hi_raeth
Summary: A panicked Ben seeks advice from his parents after accidentally telling his kind of, sort of enemy that he'd like to grow old with her.(In which every single member of the Organa-Solo household is a total disaster when it comes to matters of the heart, and Rey has no idea what she's in for.)





	mother (doesn't always) know best

It’s half past eleven on a Tuesday night when the cordless phone Leia _insists_ on keeping by the bed starts ringing.

“Just leave it,” Han grumbles from his side of the bed, words somewhat muffled by the fact that he’s face-down on his pillow. “No one ever calls the landline for important stuff.”

“Unless they tried calling both our phones first and found they were switched off,” Leia points out, setting aside her book as she reaches for the phone. “It’s Ben,” she announces, prompting Han to turn on his side. They share a look of trepidation as Leia picks up the call and puts it on speakerphone.

“Ben? It’s almost midnight, is everything okay?”

“ _Hey, mom_ ,” their son says quietly. “ _Sorry if I woke you up, I know I haven’t called lately, I promise I’ll talk to you soon,”_ he adds in a rush of words they can barely pick apart, and in Leia’s mind she can see Ben pacing the length of his living room with one hand on the phone and the other nervously pulling at his hair or pinching the bridge of his nose. “ _Is Dad there? I need to talk to him.”_

“What’s up, kiddo?” Han asks with a heavy sigh as he pulls himself upright.

Without preamble, Ben spits out the words his mother had long since given up on hearing. “ _I think I’m in love.”_

They trade wide-eyed looks as Han simply says, “Oh.” He takes a second to fully shake off the lingering remnants of sleep before reaching for the phone. “Oh, that’s bad. Hand it over, Leia.”

“What? No!” She holds the phone out of reach. “I want to hear about this too.”

Han raises an eyebrow at her. “You of all people should know how Solo men get when they’re in love,” he reminds her. “Trust me, you don’t want to hear this.”

Leia rolls her eyes and hands the phone over with a huff. “Fine,” she mutters, crossing her arms as Han turns off speakerphone.

“Okay, kid,” he sighs. “Lay it on me.”

Ben inhales, and then he’s off like a rocket. _“Her name is Rey and we've known each other for years and we're kind of, sort of enemies? I can count the number of civil conversations we've had on one hand but I think she's the most amazing person I've ever met and I may have accidentally told her that I can't see myself growing old with anyone else_ ,” he concludes, the last bit so hesitant and awkward that Han can practically see him squirming and wincing over the phone.

“Oh boy,” Han says after a brief pause, his mind still reeling as it tries to process Ben’s word vomit. He doesn’t think he’s heard his son string together this many words since childhood, and he’s definitely never heard Ben this flustered and… _gushy_. “Kid, I wish I could help you,” he finally says, “but I’m going to have to put your mother on the phone now. This is the Organa in you acting up.”

Leia starts speaking before he’s even had a chance to hand her the phone. “Benjamin Organa-Solo, you did _what?!_ ” she demands, graciously hitting the speakerphone button once more and allowing Han to listen in.

“ _HOW DID YOU EVEN HEAR ANY OF THAT?!_ ” Ben squawks, half indignant and half amazed.

“You know I have exceptional hearing,” Leia says dismissively. “Now, tell me all about this poor girl you’ve been tormenting.”

“ _Hey! If anything,_ she _’s the one tormenting_ me _,”_ Ben claims, and oh, he’s definitely a goner if the genuine hurt in his voice is anything to go by. “ _I mean, she knows how I feel about her now and she still spent the rest of dinner picking fights with me for no damn reason.”_

Han and Leia share a look. They might love their son, but even they know it’s unlikely that he’s completely innocent in this situation. Ben has a way of pushing people’s buttons – sometimes deliberately, sometimes unknowingly, but he’s good at it all the same.

“Honey,” Leia starts carefully after a moment’s silence, trying her best to sound gentle and not patronizing. “If you’ve been fighting with this girl for years, then an accidental confession isn’t going to do much to bring her around. Actions speak louder than words. That’s how I knew your father cared for me, after all,” she smirks at Han.

His eyes gleam. “Oh, is _that_ how–”

Ben cuts in before they have a chance to get lost in their memories, as they often do these days. There’s just something about making it to one’s thirtieth wedding anniversary against all odds that triggers a sudden appreciation for nostalgia and the past. An appreciation that their son clearly does _not_ share. “ _Can we please skip The Fucked-Up Ballad of Han and Leia and focus on_ my _disastrous love life instead?”_

Leia scowls. “Language, Benjamin!”

“The kid is _thirty_ , Leia,” Han reminds her. “He can curse if he wants to–”

“Not at his mother, he can’t–”

“You’ve got to stop controlling him eventually–”

“ _GUYS!”_ Ben bellows after several failed attempts to curb their bickering, effectively shocking them into silence.

“Right,” Leia clears her throat. “Back to the matter at hand. Ben, have you tried just telling her you love her?”

“For god’s sake, Leia, he can’t just _say it_ –”

“Why not? It worked for me–”

 _“Guuuyyysss,”_ Ben whines on the other end of the line, but it’s hopeless.

He _knew_ he should’ve just called Luke instead. His uncle might not have much experience when it comes to this kind of stuff, but at least he’s not a total goddamn disaster.

.

.

.

He’s still on the phone twenty minutes later, listening to his parents argue about which one of them is to blame for his stunted emotional growth, when his phone beeps with an incoming text from Rey.

_Dinner at my place tomorrow, 7PM. If we can make it through one night around sharp utensils without wanting to kill each other, then we can talk about the growing old together thing._

**Author's Note:**

> This was a random piece of dialogue that just came to me, and then it turned into potential ficlet material, and now it's this. I have no idea which of my many AU ideas this would fit into but as far as I've been able to figure out, Ben and Rey share a mutual friend (Poe) and always end up arguing whenever they meet. Poe thinks it's hilarious, and deliberately organizes as many group outings as he can.
> 
> I'll be back soon with actual fics worth reading, I promise. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this tiny glimpse into the Organa-Solo household. And as always, I'd love to hear from you guys!
> 
> UPDATE: [here's a quick look at Ben and Rey's first date](https://eleanor-writes-stuff.tumblr.com/post/172658315585/mother-doesnt-always-know-best-ficlet), in case any of you were wondering how that went.


End file.
